Angels in the community rallies to support manna food pantries amid growing hunger crisis

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Food. One of life’s necessities that most of us take for granted. Sadly, thousands of our neighbors don’t know where they will get their next meal.

Last year, more than 67,000 people in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties depended on Manna Food Pantries to have food to eat and Manna depends on you.

“We have supported Manna for many years at Cokesbury,” Frances Wilkinson from Cokesbury United Methodist Church said. “We have a beautiful Manna box that a member built years ago, and it sits right outside our sanctuary. Our members bring food donations routinely. We also have the great opportunity to participate in delivering food boxes to the seniors during the first three weeks of the month. We deliver about 20 boxes a week to seniors in our community.”

Thankfully, there are food drives held by places of worship, clubs, organizations, schools, and even neighborhoods. Several large campaigns like the Souper Bowl of Caring that you supported are restocking the shelves. It takes this constant resupply because the demand is so great.

“We saw it on TV this morning and saw everybody that came at 6 a.m. That Methodist church decided we had to go run some errands. We’d run the errands and come over here and take your list. We went in there and loaded up,” Martin Libowsky said.

“I just had to do it. We went through two hurricanes, and we had to have help,” Judy Branch said. “Manna food helped us out a lot and I was just grateful that I was financially able to do it.”

One of the hardest numbers to accept is that 60% of all of the people served last year were children.

Jeff Bridges said poverty is a very complicated issue, but feeding a child isn’t. For everyone who saw the need and heard the appeal, thank you for simply deciding to make a difference to help make sure no child would go to bed hungry.

“There’s a great need in the country for hungry children, and I always try to help the least of these, “Amanda Hutchinson said. “I’m motivated to do more, to help more, and children in this country should not go hungry.”